Ranking All 38 Books I Read In 2022
from best to burn-it-in-a-bonfire
Hello, bookish friends!
2022 saw me staying within my comfort genres, but also revisiting some of the Classics I loved so much as a kid. I hesitate to call it a ‘good’ year of reading, but when I sat down to sort between the books I had set out to read, started on, and actually finished, the number did surprise me!
So, without further ado, here’s an exhaustive list of all the books I finished reading this year, ranked and reviewed from best to bottom of the barrell.
P.S. I may have missed one or two, and some I might’ve read at the end of 2021, but since we’re still in the middle of December, we’re counting them, okay.
*— Indicates a re-read
These cleared my skin and watered my crops
The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe* — When I say this genuinely altered my brain chemistry, I mean it. Think of the saddest romantic tragedy ever. Then multiply the tragedy by 10.
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde — Handsome men, fine art, scandals, a dash of queerness, and plenty of terror. This is the epitome of Gothic decadence.
All Quiet On The Western Front by Enrich Maria Remarque — Astounding. If you have to read only one war novel in your life, let it be this.
The Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson — I didn’t like her novel (see We Have Always Lived In The Castle below), but THIS is my Shirley Jackson sweet spot. Every single one in this collection is a hit.
Animal Farm by George Orwell* — Lost count of the number of times I’ve re-read this. If you want to learn about communism but find politics confusing, the anthropomorphic animal characters definitely help to simplify things.
All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr — I have never seen an author handle such an intricate plotline (in one self-contained book) with so much care and attention to detail. If you have to read only two war novels in your life, let the second one be this.
A Man Called Ove: A Novel by Frederik Backman — Forever changed my view of the elderly. A masterclass in humanising abrasive and unlikable people. WARNING: May cause tears.
Dracula by Bram Stoker — Had me on the edge of my seat every chapter, though it dragged slightly in the middle. Also, Stoker was a progressive, feminist king. I love him.
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio — Mystery, terror, and Shakespeare. What The Secret History WISHES it was.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman — A tactful exploration of the trauma spectrum and its side effects. Unlocked emotions I never even knew I was capable of feeling.
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell — Is this just Shakespeare AU fanfic? Yes. Is it GOOD Shakespeare AU fanfic? Hell yes. A feminist historical fiction cupcake baked to godly perfection. Deserves all the awards.
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke — A quaint little tale that floored me by how well it seamlessly blended themes of isolation, semi-fantasy, and academia (of which is neither dark nor light, just a tasteful medium shade of oak brown).
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens — Short, efficient, and elicited a few sniggers from me. Didn’t vibe with the whole OTT romanticisation of Christmas, but still worth the read.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley — Everyone in this is an asshole. Except for Henry Clerval. Henry Clerval is bb, and must be protected at all costs. Also, holy fuck, can Shelley write.
The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward — Had more turns than an F1 race. Singlehandedly the most insane, off-kilter thriller I’ve ever read (which isn’t many, but still). Incited a temporary existential crisis.
Didn’t blow my mind, but still pretty damn good
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman — Childhood nostalgia and horror is a weird combination. I loved it.
The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker — Very clever use of micro-perspective. The overtly-feminist theme gets a bit too much at times, but still tragic and shocking in all the ways it needs to be.
Heartless by Marissa Meyer — An immersive and decadent backstory of the Queen of Hearts. I must admit I enjoyed this more than its source material.
The Stranger by Albert Camus — Camus has the uncanny ability to write mundane horror that doesn’t exactly scare, but creeps under your skin and stays there for a long, long time.
The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman — Don’t let the men read this, lest it gives them more ideas on how to gaslight us.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab — A pleasant mix of romance and fantasy that alternates between historical and modern settings. Interesting storyline, but could’ve been fleshed out a bit more.
Mehhhh
Galatea by Madeline Miller — Smart move on Miller’s part to keep this story to a few pages. A somewhat different style from The Song of Achilles and Circe, but still lovely. I’m just not sure if this was a story I needed to read.
Once Upon A Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber — Love triangle in a medieval fantasy steampunk world? I gobbled that shit up. Also surprisingly less cringey than I expected.
The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn — Very gripping. I was expecting a twist, but it exceeded expectations. Unfortunately, my reading experience was soon entirely overshadowed by the superior The Last House on Needless Street.
Conversations With Friends by Sally Rooney — A simple but jarring slice-of-life that depicts the strange, tangled web of human relationships in which we find ourselves perpetually ensnared.
Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh — Moshfegh doesn’t hold back on the body horror. There are recurring motifs that appear to be saying something, though I can’t figure out what. Interesting and subtle world-building. Left me more confused at the end than when I started.
Alone With You In The Ether by Olivie Blake — Pseudo-intellectual-y, but had some impactful lines. Offers a peek into the life of a depression-riddled NYC nepo baby, and the epic highs and lows of the WASP bourgeoisie lifestyle. Emotional at some points, but overall forgettable.
The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell — The OG Hunger Games/Battle Royale. Its length doesn’t warrant more comment.
Alice’s Adventure's in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll* — Pure unhingery. I’m sure Carroll was on acid or something when he wrote this.
We Have Always Lived In The Castle by Shirley Jackson — Maintains a relatively stagnant atmosphere throughout, and I saw the twist coming from a mile away. Appreciated the Tim Burton-esque vibes, though.
The Call of the Wild by Jack London* — Go hug your dogs. If reading about animal abuse makes you queasy, maybe give this a miss.
White Fang by Jack London* — The inverse storyline of the above. Less brutal than its companion novel, but also more boring.
Burn these in a bonfire
The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi — Nothing to do with Collodi’s writing, but this bastard puppet is one of the most insufferable fictional characters in human history. I’m not saying the villains were right when they hung him from a tree, or tried to use him as firewood, or swindled him of his money, or attempted to eat him. But they were right.
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky — My stint with Russian literature started and ended with this book.
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad — While I think Chinua Achebe’s criticism of this book may have been a little misguided, I would toss this into the fire simply because it was so mind-numbingly BORING.
They Never Learn by Layne Fargo — A feminist-passing travesty that makes a complete mockery of campus sexual assault.
The Secret History by Donna Tartt — Breathtakingly pretentious, and definitely did not give what it thought it was giving. I mean, how does one set out writing a book to make a point, and then have the final product be 100% the antithesis of the original intended message?
Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover — Made me feel physically ill. Full rant coming soon.
And that’s all 38 books I finished this year! There were definitely more hits than flops, so that’s a win in my books. I plan to expand my reading repertoire to include more genres, so if you have recommendations, send ‘em my way!
I hope you guys had a wonderful and productive year of reading and discovery as well. Thank you for subscribing to my little newsletter, and I’ll see you in 2023 with loads more rants, reviews, and rambles!
Love, C.
I was talking with Elisa from The Metamodern Librarian, she's a Moshfegh fan too, and she likes all her novels. Can you recommend one to start with? Also have you read Nell Zink? Mislaid and The Wall creeper are great.
Happy new year! I enjoyed this!